ben kramer - let go

Ben Kramer

Let Go
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Ben Kramer brings us tried and true folk music from Chicago, IL. The songs found within his first release as a solo artist are dynamic in nature and are impervious to lies and hate as they emanate bright lights of truth and positivity, allowing its listeners to as the album is aptly named Let Go. The music within this release can be classified as modern folk music; it’s refreshing while maintaining that classic folk character.

The opening track shares the same name as the album and is mellow in nature but has a nice strumming effect that keeps you bobbing along to the melody. Lyrics are what really anchor this song and they tell a descriptive tale of sticky love that slowly unfolds toward the end; “all my life, I was made to wander… in my mind, I find no answers…” Instruments used within this song create a menagerie of beautiful and authentic folk sounds, there seems to be a few different types of guitars used, and minimal percussion, which is characteristic of the folk genre. “So let go, let go of me,” is the proclaiming chorus that is gentle yet very direct in nature which makes this a great song to sing along with as well as letting it play in the background as it becomes a relaxing and insightful soundtrack. 

A song with a very different demeanor is “The Gates.” It has a dark yet sultry persona that is instantly absorbed from the beginning of the song. The dark melody is maintained by the style of vocals and the somewhat ominous effect of the guitar and the short percussions. “The Gates” is dripping with deep flowing passion and the lyrics really draw an intense picture along with the upbeat guitar notes; “as the gates of their love feel quicker than the rain, by the end it will come to pass, my body and soul could end that fast, with time they say what’s true will tell, but my heart fell when I tasted hell.”

The four songs within this young musician’s first release are passionate, genuine, and complex in nature. Sound quality is satisfactory and it would be interesting to see what Kramer could come up with for a full-length album. He shows talents in his songwriting and composition, which makes for a great listening album for anyone interested in folk music. 

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